In this his second collection of poetry since Loss and Remembrance, Ruminations on the Speed of Life, Stan Dean again captures with profound empathy the beauty, terror, and wonders of nature, the joy and disappointments of love and life and the inevitabilities of death. It is his struggle to fi nd hope and meaning in life s wondrous, if often ephemeral, passage. And he does so with gentleness and compassion. He exercises faith in the economy of words and uses the words to paint images and reveal knowledge that mere speech cannot. Through In the Autumn of Always he hopes to inspire readers to recognize and appreciate the multifaceted effects of our connections with nature and all humanity.